Friday, April 13, 2012

First "unwell" doctor visit

After 6 months of house arrest, enduring monthly shots to prevent getting RSV, and being uninvited to Christmas to avoid ill relatives, I was excited to finally have some playdates with other children! Even then, Mommy was careful to make sure none of the other kids were sick and several times our plans were cancelled. About a week ago, I got the sniffles. No big deal, just stuffy in the morning and an occasional torture session of nasal suctioning by Mommy. Then I started getting what looked like diaper rash, but it continued to get worse no matter how often Mommy put cream on me and changed my diaper. Then the spots appeared around my mouth. Then Daddy got a phone call that said one of our playmates had been diagnosed with Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. Uh oh! After that it was like the spots were appearing before our eyes! I started running a low grade fever and woke up every hour for two night in a row. When the rash appeared on my bum, and my earlobes started peeling, and the spots around my mouth turned to blisters, it was time to visit the doctor. I had some spots in my mouth and throat, but tested negative for strep. (Gag! Mommy had to restrain me while the doctor swabbed my throat. It was maybe as horrible as the RSV shots) She said it definitely looked like Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. ALSO, the "diaper rash" was actually a yeast infection, AND the peeling on my earlobes and bum was actually impetigo, a bacterial skin infection! YIKES! I came home with two separate creams. So now I'm back on house arrest! How ironic that now I'm the one to avoid. Sigh. But at least I get to take naps in Mommy's arms!